When I first began university, I had no intention of going on a year abroad. It wasn’t until I became aware of the Erasmus scheme, and met some of the people who came to Kent through Erasmus, that I seriously considered the idea.
Writes Ryan Freeman, Criminology and Cultural Studies Student
I think Erasmus is an amazing opportunity and I definitely wouldn’t have been able to carry out my year abroad if it wasn’t for the service and the support that Erasmus provided. That was it. I had decided to go abroad!
My options of where I could go were limited due to financial or language reasons. However, I made my choices and Tampere in Finland was my top choice. A choice that materialised and became a wonderful experience. I packed my bags and sorted out all those important things, such as accommodation, courses, and flights (of course). The University of Tampere has a tutor scheme, so I was assigned a tutor for my time there. They were there to help me and answer any questions, which was very useful! My tutor picked up my keys for me and met me at the train station, in order to show me to my accommodation.
It would be long and dull if I described my classes and talked about my accommodation, so I will move away from that. The year abroad programme at the University of Kent highlights the cultural aspect of an exchange over the academic aspect. This helped relieve some of the pressures of studying, which allowed me to engage more with the cultural side of the exchange, such as travelling, experiencing Finnish traditions, meeting Finns, and being immersed in the nature. I was able to travel around Finland and other nearby countries. I witnessed some of the most breathtaking scenery I have ever seen in my life. For instance, scenery such as Lapland and the Northern Lights, or calm yet dominant lakes surrounded by endless trees. Nature was never too far away. Even in one of the biggest and fastest growing cities within Finland, it only took a short walk to be surrounded by silence. I felt at home, settled, and at one with my surroundings, a feeling that I didn’t expect to feel in such great intensity during my year abroad.
Finland is a beautiful country and I would encourage you all to try and visit it at least once during your life. I know I will revisit! However, the reality is that the experience I had is possible in any of the places available for an exchange. If you want to go, and have the opportunity to do so, then do not waste this precious chance. It is completely different from travelling to the country, it is something deeper, and in my opinion, far more enriching